The update follows reports from racing colleague Philippe Streiff who said the 45-year-old former F1 champion’s life is no longer in danger.

Speaking to reporters outside the hospital where Mr Schumacher is being treated, Philippe Streiff, also a former Formula One driver said: “I'm not a doctor, I'm repeating what Gerard Saillant (surgeon and friend of the Schumacher family) told me.

“Gerard Saillant said it is a serious condition but his life is not in danger anymore now, thankfully.”

The unofficial update on Mr Schumacher’s condition comes as French media reports that they hold footage from the helmet camera he was wearing at the time of the ski accident.

A source close the investigation confirmed the existence of the camera late on Friday to AFP, the news agency said.

Authorities have also spoken to Mr Schumacher's 14-year-old son, who was skiing with his father when he fell, French newspaper Dauphine Libere reports.

Mr Schumacher remains in an induced coma after the accident on a rocky patch in between two relatively simple ski slope on 29 December. He reportedly hit his head so hard that his helmet split in two.

French prosecutors are looking at whether the pistes on the edge of the patch were clearly and correctly marked, and if the safety releases on Schumacher's skis were working properly, AFP said.

The news comes as fans held a silent vigil outside the hospital to mark his 45th birthday, in part organised by Ferrari, the team with which he won five successive world drivers' title between 2000 and 2004.

Following the vigil, his family said in a statement: “The incredible sympathies shown today by the Ferrari Fans outside the hospital has utterly overwhelmed us and moved us all to tears.”

“We are deeply grateful for it and also for all the heartwarming and heartfelt wishes for Michael to get well soon, which have reached us from all over the world.”